Andretti out early at Indy

So much for the 40th anniversary of grandfather Mario's win at the Indy 500 being the charm for Marco Andretti.

The Lehigh Valley native and Notre Dame-Green Pond graduate was taken out of the race on the first lap of the 93rd running of the Indy 500 on Sunday.

He got tangled up with Mario Moraes nearing the second turn. Moraes appeared to be at fault as he drifted up and bounced Andretti into the wall when Andretti had no where to go.

Andretti was disappointed and angry: "The kid doesn't get it, he never will," he said of Moraes. "You'd think someone would know that someone is sitting right outside of you. He had no one sitting inside of him. I was really worried about that at the start and sure enough."

When asked if he had a warning, Andretti said: "I guess the warning should have been who I was racing against. It's just so disappointing. I mean, I'm sitting outside the guy and he's clueless."

As the ABC announcers indicated, the national anthem lasted longer than Andretti's day. They also noted that all of the drivers had been there for more than two weeks leading up to the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" and how empty the feeling must be for someone to exit so early.

Marco, just 22, had finished second in a thrilling finish in 2006 and was third in 2008. He was starting eighth this year.

Andretti returned to the race on lap 61 and completed 56 laps for a 30th place finish, easily his worst in four races this IndyCar season.

Moraes, also interviewed immediately by ABC, indicated he thought he had done nothing wrong and was determined to talk to Marco.

"He hit me, I was in front, holding my line and he hit me," Moraes said.

Replays didn't back him up.

Marco's cousin, John Andretti, was still running, but with Marco's early departure the Andretti family is now 1-for-61 in Indy 500 starts.

Before the race, Marco said: "I don't have quite the car I had here last year."

Less than one lap into it, he had no car at all.

As for the Andretti-Green run by Marco's father, Michael, the best effort of the day belonged to Danica Patrick, who finished third. Tony Kanaan crashed and finished 27th and Hideki Mutoh was 16th,

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Hey, Keith, aren't you glad you weren't there? I was there in 1982 when Kevin Cogan took out Mario before the cars ever reached the starting line. I was there in 1968 when he started fourth and completed just two laps and finished 33rd. I was there for his 1994 finale, when he placed 32nd because of a problem with the fuel system. Mario started on the front row eight times but had only that one victory.

Michael didn't have as impressive an Indy record as his dad did. He started on the front row only once. He easily could have won a couple of times, but he never fnished in the bottom three at the Brickyard.

The point here is, Marco should have known better. I'm sure he's had the Indy lecture every year from both Mario and Michael. What happened today was not Marco's fault, but he never should have been in a position to be taken out by a kid like Moraes. He should have been doing everything in his power to avoid any early confrontations, but it looked like his foot, not his brain, was in control on that first lap. Adrenalin? maybe. But being the innocent party was no consolation.

Posted By: Rhino | May 24, 2009 8:07:29 PM

Seems like they're on the throtle too much when maybee it might be better to lay off and wait till the end of the race, take advantage of someone elses yellow.

Posted By: Couch jockey | May 24, 2009 9:44:54 PM

The only thing I'm surprised about is Marco didn't say he "did it on purpose" as he has in the past.

Even though this really wasn't Marco's fault, he really had no business sticking his car on the high side of anyone in the opening laps--really dumbass move, but it's to be expected of Marco.

For those that don't really understand, when you have an Indycar full of fuel, the tendency of the car will be for it to move high coming out of a turn, and you want to use the full width of the track at Indy to make it through until your tires are up to temperature and you lose some of the weight from a full tank. Being on the outside like that was just pointless.

Posted By: Wayne | May 24, 2009 10:08:01 PM

The Andretti's just need to stay out of the cars in order to win. One must wonder with Kanaan being so strong near the end but foiled by his car. And had Danica been a slightly better driver. Just add one more REAL driver in the mix instead of Marco.. and you got yourself a 500 victory.

P.s. I'm available to drive and a bargain.

Posted By: Barry | May 25, 2009 12:03:55 PM

I was at the race and Marco has an unbelievable talent but his race was definately shortened by a very foolish move by Moraes!!! I SAW IT LIVE AND THERE WAS DEFINATELY NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT!!!Anyone out there that has a different opinion was obviuosly NOT there and or too annebriated to see it unfold!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bob J Northampton, Pa

Posted By: Bob J | May 25, 2009 11:32:45 PM

Barry, what a splendid demonstration of a complete lack of any real racing knowlwdge your comments make !

Posted By: Andy | May 26, 2009 1:24:59 PM

Bob J is 100% correct. Moraes was as clueless as you could get. He ran right into Marco even though he had LOTS of room on the inside. He's lucky he hit Marco. If that had been Danica, she would have gotten out ofthe car and creamed him.---and he would have deserved it

Posted By: davehimes | May 27, 2009 5:53:25 PM

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